


Vigilance

by MysticMoonlight_04



Category: Castlevania (Cartoon), 悪魔城ドラキュラ | Castlevania Series
Genre: Angst, Banter, Gen, Panic Attacks, Self-Indulgent
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-20
Updated: 2019-11-20
Packaged: 2021-02-18 06:20:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,530
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21506545
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MysticMoonlight_04/pseuds/MysticMoonlight_04
Summary: Alucard has a run-in with some Marionettes.
Kudos: 25





	Vigilance

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by the Marionettes in Symphony of the Night. You can actually see a Marionette and other enemies from the SotN bestiary in a display case when they first enter the Belmont Hold.

It was the second night of the trio’s stay at the Belmont Hold. Trevor, Alucard, and Sypha were searching for anything that could give them information on the mechanics of Dracula’s Castle. After a long day of searching, neither of them had much luck, and they reunited empty-handed. They all met at the lectern that held the index at the center of the Belmont Hold. 

“The amount of information here is insane,” Sypha said. “How can we possibly find anything about the castle in the midst of all of these books?”

“You’re smart, you’ll figure it out,” Trevor said. “But right now, I think it’s about time that we all take a break. We can try again in the morning.”

“All right,” Sypha said with a sigh. “I just wish we had made better progress today, you know?”

“Yeah, I know...” Trevor trailed off. 

Sypha turned her attention to Alucard, who stood by silently.

“Are you going to sleep, Alucard?” she asked.

“I think I am going to look around a while longer,” he replied. “You two go ahead and get some rest.”

“If you say so,” Sypha said. 

The two humans made their way to the second level of the Belmont Hold, leaving Alucard alone at the lectern. He sighed quietly to himself and turned towards a nearby set of bookshelves. He walked aimlessly down the aisles of shelves, tracing his finger along the spines of the seemingly endless amount of books. Alucard paid little attention to the titles, knowing that the books were merely filled with spells and useless knowledge. They looked like they hadn’t been touched in centuries, but considering that Trevor was the last of the Belmonts, that was pretty understandable. Alucard turned a corner and found himself by the display cases containing the vampire skulls. He stared into the cases and wondered how situations got so bad that he had to side with a vampire hunter. 

Alucard saw his own sad reflection in the glass, and he turned away. He continued to walk down the rows of shelves, until another display case caught his eye. The case contained the remains of monsters—monsters that Alucard recognized from his father’s castle. He saw the green gloves and boomerangs that belonged to a Skelerang, the arrows and purple bow from a Bone Archer, the lethal petals of a Stone Rose, the axe and helmet from an Axe Knight, and even a Medusa Head. Alucard shuddered at the sight of all of these creatures, wondering why on earth the Belmonts would want to collect their remains.

Then he saw it. 

On one of the shelves of the display case, there was a pile of wooden parts. They looked like body parts—arms, legs, and a body. His gaze rested on a round wooden piece at the top of the pile. It was a head, and it was covered with long blonde hair. Alucard took a shaky step back, realizing what the wood pile actually was. It was a Marionette. 

Alucard had had experience with Marionettes before, and none of them had been pleasant. It wasn’t that they were difficult to defeat, but rather the fact that Alucard found them...disturbing. The way that they spun their heads around and laughed at him was something that he would always try to wipe from his mind. 

Alucard turned to leave when he heard something clatter behind him. It was followed by the sound of breaking glass, and he froze. He slowly turned around and his eyes widened with a tinge of fear. The Marionette had somehow awoken, and she had broken out of the display case. The doll was now hovering in front of the case, and she appeared as if she was staring directly at Alucard, save for the fact that she did not have eyes—or a face, for that matter. Alucard slowly backed up from the demonic puppet, his hands trembling slightly. The doll inched closer to him as he attempted to escape. 

_This is foolish._ Alucard thought to himself. _She is merely a doll. A harmless wooden doll. I can defeat her quickly. There is nothing to be afraid of._

Alucard continued to walk backwards despite his thoughts, but he quickly found himself against a book shelf. The Marionette giggled, as if mocking his fear. Alucard scrambled to the right, so that he was no longer trapped against the bookshelf. His heart was pounding quickly in his chest as he tried to regain his composure. He turned a corner and found himself in a maze of endless shelves. The puppet followed him, her legs dangling limply underneath her floating wooden body. Alucard reached for his sword, but his trembling hands made it difficult for him to get a handle on the hilt. 

“S-Stay back,” he muttered quietly, his voice shaking. 

Alucard was finally able to unsheathe his sword, and he held it in front of him. The Marionette suddenly dropped to the ground in a split, and she tilted her head backwards, almost completely behind her. Alucard stepped closer to her, but the doll suddenly got up and spun her head around, her long hair swirling around her. The Marionette laughed once again, and she launched herself at Alucard, who was caught off-guard. The puppet managed to knock Alucard into a bookshelf, and the books fell into a heap around the vampire, along with his sword. Alucard scrambled to his feet and grabbed his sword. His breathing had quickened into short, panicked gasps, and his heart hammered against his rib cage. He tried to calm himself, and he turned another corner and ran. It was only after a moment that he saw a figure blocking his path. He stopped as fast as he could, but he was too late, and he ran right into a second Marionette. The first one had caught up to him, and she approached him from behind. Alucard was surrounded, blocked on either side by more bookshelves. 

Alucard internally scolded himself for allowing any of this to happen. He was on a mission to kill Dracula, and he was allowing himself to be bested by _dolls._ Of all of the things to be afraid of in these times, he was terrified of _dolls._

More giggling came from behind him as the Marionette limply glided towards him. Alucard finally found his nerve, and he swung his sword. The puppet collapsed, her wooden pieces scattering across the floor as she let out an unearthly howl. A painful shove from behind reminded Alucard of the remaining Marionette, and he swung his sword again, bringing the doll to the same fate as her companion. 

As soon as he knew that the Marionettes were defeated, Alucard ran. He didn’t quite know where he was going in the maze of bookshelves and display cases, so he blindly turned corners until he finally found himself back at the lectern. The dhampir stopped by the index and leaned against the lectern as he tried to catch his breath and slow his pounding heart. Alucard was very disappointed in himself, and he couldn’t believe that he let himself be afraid of the Marionettes. He was weak. 

After a few more moments, Alucard moved from his spot by the lectern and walked towards the ladder leading to the second level of the Belmont Hold. He climbed the ladder and gracefully leapt onto a bookshelf that was against a wall. He barely made a sound as he took his sword and sheath from his belt, set it next to him on top of the shelf, and sat with his back against the wall. Alucard tried to drift off to sleep, but every little noise that he heard startled him into thinking there were more Marionettes. He finally shot to his feet in utter frustration, grabbed his sword, and leapt off of the shelf with the elegance and agility of a cat. 

Alucard decided to further explore the Belmont Hold, and possibly find some much-needed information on Dracula’s Castle. He went back down to the first floor, and he walked around in silence, his footsteps hardly audible. The dhampir found himself by a shelf full of potions and vials. He recognized most of them—elixirs, uncurses, antivenom, mana prisms, strength potions, resistance potions, and monster vials. Alucard picked up an elixir, admiring the medicinal blue liquid that he had often used in the past. He was trying to wipe the night’s experience from the recesses of his mind—trying to forget about the Marionettes. 

The atmosphere in the Belmont Hold suddenly turned cold. Alucard could tell that something wasn’t right. The air felt eerie, as if something terrible was about to happen. Alucard’s nerves were already shot, and he started to wonder if this was all just his imagination. He moved to grasp the hilt of his sword that was at his waist, but without warning, a loud bang echoed through the Belmont Hold. Alucard jumped, and his reflexes caused him to accidentally crush the elixir that was in his hand, sending glass and liquid falling to the floor. He stared down in shock at the mess he had just made, wondering what was happening to him. Alucard was _never_ this anxious, and he was becoming slightly concerned. But that would have to wait, as he had other matters to take care of at the moment—like what the source of the noise was. Alucard cautiously emerged from the aisle and peeked around the corner of the shelf. His hands were trembling, and he tried to calm himself as he reached for his sword once again. He couldn’t hear anything besides his own shaky breathing, which was even more unnerving, because he knew that something was in the room with him. Alucard took a few steps towards the lectern, in hope that he could get a better view of the room from the center. 

“Alucard!” a voice suddenly called his name. 

Alucard’s heart jumped in his chest, and he whirled around to face whoever had called his name. To his surprise, he found himself staring at Trevor Belmont. Alucard gave a heavy sigh.

“Belmont...” he muttered.

“What are you doing down here?” Trevor asked.

“I could ask the same of you,” Alucard replied. 

“I asked you first,” Trevor said.

Alucard gave him a look of annoyance.

“All right, fine,” Trevor gave in. I heard some noises so I came down to investigate. I don’t suppose you were the one making all of that racket?” Trevor paused. “Well, except for that last bang. That was me landing on the ground after jumping over the second floor railing.”

Alucard stared blankly at Trevor, trying his best to allow no expression to show in his features. 

“What kind of noises?” Alucard finally asked.

“I don’t know,” Trevor replied casually. “Some glass breaking, some muttering to one’s self, some frantic footsteps, as if somebody was... _running_.”

Alucard tried to maintain a neutral expression. He could tell where _this_ was going.

“Ah, yes,” he said calmly. “A display case broke.”

“And?” Trevor pressed.

“I do not have to explain myself to you, _Belmont_ ,” Alucard said. “Just go back upstairs and keep Sypha company. I still do not understand why she would ever want _you_ around, but she seems...comfortable, so I suppose I will leave it at that. Now, go on.”

Trevor scoffed. “You’re not getting rid of me that easy, Alucard. What are you hiding? Now, _you_ were obviously the one talking to yourself, and _you_ were the one running from something.”

“Running from _something_ , you say?” Alucard asked.

“So it _was_ you,” Trevor said. 

“I never said that,” said Alucard. “I was simply wondering why you assume that this person was running from _something._ Is there something in here that we should be running from, Belmont? Is there something in here that we do not know about? What are _you_ hiding?”

“Woah, don’t try to turn this around on me, Alucard,” Trevor said defensively. “And also, a display case simply does not _break._ _You_ broke it. _You_ were talking to yourself. _You_ were running...from _something.”_

“I have had enough of this,” Alucard said, as he walked away from the hunter. “Everything was just fine until you got here.”

“Oh, really?” Trevor said, with a look of amused disbelief.

Alucard did not respond.

“Coward...” Trevor muttered under his breath.

Alucard was a few feet away from Trevor when he saw the head of a Marionette on the floor in a bookshelf aisle. The dhampir gasped and recoiled at the sight. His heart started to pound again, in what Alucard knew to be fear. He then froze, suddenly realizing that Trevor was still behind him. 

“Alucard?” Trevor asked, slightly amused. “Everything all right over there?”

Alucard slowly turned to face the Belmont. “E-Everything is fine. Now, if you will excuse me—”

“What’s wrong with your face?” Trevor interrupted. 

“Pardon?” Alucard asked, a hint of annoyance in his tone.

“Your face,” Trevor said, then gestured at his own visage to help get his message across. “It’s a bit...pale.”

Alucard sighed. “You do realize that I am half vampire?” 

“Yes, but you’re... _paler_ ,” Trevor said. “And you’re shaking. What’s going on?”

The hunter moved so he could see behind Alucard. He scanned the area, and his eyes rested on the remains of the Marionette. A sly grin suddenly spread across the Belmont’s face, in sudden realization.

“Oh my God,” he said. “You’re afraid of the Marionettes! You were running from the _Marionettes!”_

“That is ridiculous,” Alucard said calmly, trying to appear dignified. “I am not afraidof dolls.”

Trevor scoffed. “Dolls, no. But Marionettes? They’re more than dolls. They scare you, and you know it.” 

“They do _not_ scare me!”

“Getting a little defensive, huh? I understand. You’re just trying to appear brave and everything,” Trevor leaned in a bit. “But really, deep down, you’re _terrified_...”

“Leave me alone, Belmont.”

“What, before you burst into tears?”

Alucard let out a quiet hiss as he turned around and leapt onto a balcony. Trevor laughed heartily, amused at Alucard’s reactions. As the dhampir turned a corner, he ran straight into Sypha. She yelled in surprise as he nearly knocked her over. 

“Oh—my apologies,” Alucard said, before briskly walking past the Speaker. 

“Alucard!” she called after him, but he had already disappeared into the shadows. 

“Oh, him?” Trevor’s voice came from behind her, as he climbed the ladder onto the platform. “I wouldn’t bother with him. He went off to calm himself down.”

“What are you talking about?” Sypha asked slowly, suspiciously.

“Oh, you haven’t heard? He’s afraid of Marionettes. Absolutely _terrified._ It’s quite hilarious, if you ask me.”

“I didn’t ask you...”

“What are you doing up, anyway? I thought you were asleep.”

“You two woke me up, with your loud talking and banging around.”

“Wasn’t me,” Trevor said flatly.

“Sure it wasn’t.”

“What’s with the excessive amount of sarcasm?”

“I do not like being woken up, _Trevor._ ”

“That’s fair.”

“What makes you think that Alucard is afraid of Marionettes?”

Trevor laughed. “Well, there were remains of the puppets on the floor, and he went white as a sheet. He started shaking and he kept trying to find excuses to leave.”

“Are you sure that that’s what happened?” Sypha asked, doubtful.

“Oh yeah. Talk to him yourself if you don’t believe me,” Trevor sat down against a bookshelf. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to get some rest. Good night.”

“Trevor—” Sypha sighed. “Fine. Good night, then.”

The Speaker walked along the edge of the platform, running her hand over the railing. 

“Alucard?” she called. “Alucard, where are you?”

She received no response, so she continued her search. Sypha decided to look on top of the bookshelves, because she had seen Alucard sitting on one earlier. The perks of being a dhampir, she supposed. Just as she thought, Sypha finally found Alucard on top of a shelf, with his back against the wall. He had one knee propped up and his arms crossed over his chest, his sword laying beside him. His eyes were closed, but Sypha doubted that he was actually asleep.

“Alucard?” she tried again. “Come on. I know you’re not asleep.”

“Maybe I was,” came a response from the dhampir. 

“Well, either way, you’re not sleeping now. Besides, you two woke _me_ up, so it’s only fair.”

“I suppose.”

“Can you come down here, please? I’d like to speak to you.”

Alucard opened his eyes. “Oh?”

Sypha nodded. “Please?”

The dhampir sighed and let his legs hang over the edge of the shelf before dropping down, taking his sword with him. Sypha sat on the floor and gestured for him to do the same. The two sat in silence for a moment, before Sypha spoke. 

“Is something troubling you, Alucard?” she asked. “You seem a bit shaken up.”

“How so?” the dhampir asked. 

“You just do. You see, your hands are shaking, and you’re bringing your sword with you everywhere.”

“Sypha, we need to stay alert and armed at all times. We do not know what may be lurking around.”

“You still haven’t answered my question, though.”

“Nothing is troubling me,” he said flatly, averting her gaze. 

Sypha suddenly leaned forward and took his gloved hands in her own. Alucard tried his best to stop the shaking, but he couldn’t. 

“And these?” she asked. “What’s the matter?”

“It has been a long day...”

“I see...” Sypha released the dhampir’s hands. “What were you and Trevor doing down there, anyway?”

“As I told you before, I wanted to look around some more.”

“And Trevor?” Sypha pressed.

“I do not know, Sypha,” Alucard said, exasperated. “He claimed to have heard some noises. Have you come here to speak to me or to interrogate me?” 

“I’m sorry. It’s just...are you afraid of anything?”

Alucard hesitated. “Of course. Everybody is, especially considering the troubled times we are living in.”

“You know that’s not what I meant.”

“Well then what did you mean? Just say what you want to say and get it over with.”

Alucard’s tone turned cold, and he looked agitated. He knew very well what Sypha intended to ask him. He just wished that she would leave him alone. 

Sypha sighed. “Are you afraid of Marionettes?”

Alucard stiffened. “Of course not.”

“Trevor told me that you were.”

“You trust the Belmont’s every word?”

“No, I’m just saying that he must have gotten that idea from somewhere.”

Alucard didn’t respond.

“He told me that you were having nervous reactions upon seeing the remains of one....which may explain the shaking.”

“It must be the adrenaline. I had to fight a couple of them.”

“Here in the Belmont Hold?”

“Yes. This is not a very secure space if you ask me.”

“Where did they come from?”

“Similar to the case of vampire skulls, there was a case of various hellspawn remains. Among them was a Marionette. It came to life and broke out.”

“You mentioned more than one.”

“Yes,” Alucard said. “I am not entirely sure where the other one came from. They are both dead now. No need to worry.”

“It’s okay to be afraid, you know,” Sypha said suddenly.

“I am sorry?”

“Look, Marionettes are creepy. I’ve seen them before, and I’m glad I’ve never had a full-on encounter with one. You don’t have to hide the fact that they scare you.”

“They do _not_ scare me!” Alucard exclaimed, frustrated. 

The head of a Marionette suddenly dropped down in front of the dhampir, and he let out a startled yell. He quickly realized what it was as the blank face rolled over and faced him, it’s long blonde hair framing its head. Alucard scrambled away from the puppet head and remained frozen in a corner, eyes wide and breathing quickened as his heart raced. 

Sypha stared in awe at Alucard, shocked at his reaction. She was hardly fazed, as she quickly saw that it was just a head, therefore it could do no harm. The Speaker heard laughing, and looked up to see Trevor on top of the bookshelf that Alucard had been sitting on earlier. 

“Trevor!” Sypha exclaimed. “What on earth are you doing?”

“Giving the dhampir a little scare,” he said with a sly grin.

“Where did you get a Marionette head?”

“Found one on the lower floor. Must’ve been left over from Alucard’s little skirmish.”

A small whimper came from the corner, and Trevor and Sypha turned to look at Alucard. His eyes were squeezed shut and his chest rose and fell with frantic breaths. Sypha approached him and put a hand on his shoulder, but he flinched away.

“Trevor...?” Sypha asked, looking up at the hunter. She wore a worried expression.

Trevor jumped down from the shelf and met with his companions. 

“Lying to us, huh, Alucard?” the Belmont asked. 

“Enough!” the dhampir exclaimed. “Just leave me alone!”

He opened his eyes, and Sypha saw them brimming with tears before he teleported away.

“You scared him to death, you know that?” she asked Trevor. 

“I had to know the truth,” he said. “We can’t be having dishonest members in our merry little band, now can we?”

“That was cruel.”

“That was the point.”

***

Alucard felt sick. What was wrong with him? He had let his guard down and allowed himself to panic at the sight of a Marionette _head_. His heartbeat was terribly loud in his ears, as if mocking him and his weakness. His hands shook so badly that wouldn’t trust himself to pick up a sharp object without cutting himself. It was then that he realized that he had left his sword on the other side of the hold—where Trevor and Sypha were. What if he got attacked? What if there were more of the demonic puppets? 

Alucard collapsed against the wall and brought his knees to his chest, resting his elbows on his knees so that his hands were in his hair. He tried to take deep breaths to calm down, but the fact that he couldn’t only made him panic even more. A few tears fell from his eyes as he panicked in the dark corner, near hyperventilating. 

_Calm down, calm down, calm down—_

He suddenly felt a hand on his shoulder, and he jumped, looking up in sheer terror. It was Sypha. He must not have been able to hear her footsteps over his frantic breathing. 

“Alucard, you need to breathe,” Sypha said. 

“C-Can’t,” he gasped. “I _can’t_ _—”_

“Come, stand up,” Sypha said, offering her hand out to him. “Walk with me.”

Alucard clutched her hand, and she could feel him shaking. He stood and took a few steps forward, trying to stay on his feet. His mind was foggy, and he couldn’t see straight. Panic had completely overtaken him. 

“Alucard?” Sypha called, her voice sounded distant. “Follow me, come on. You’ll feel better.”

Alucard obeyed, and the two walked slowly around the platform. Alucard was slowly regaining his senses, and everything was clear in front of him. He could breathe again, and he wasn’t shaking as badly. 

“Can you talk to me, please?” the Speaker asked. “Tell me what’s wrong. Tell me why you are afraid.”

The dhampir finally found his voice. “The Marionettes...I do not know, I have just always found them disturbing, ever since I was a child. I suppose I have never outgrown that fear,” he took a deep breath. “When I fought them tonight...that was one thing. But Belmont, and the head...it was unexpected. I...I—”

“I understand.”

The two stopped walking, and Sypha turned to face him. She took his hands in hers, and looked into his golden eyes. 

“Everybody is afraid of something, like you said earlier,” she said. “It’s okay to admit your fears. You don’t have to hide it. For example, I am terrified of the Flea Men.”

“You are?”

Sypha laughed. “Yeah. Can you believe it? They’re just so...I don’t know. Twisted? Unnatural? You know what I mean?”

Alucard nodded.

“If we ever encounter one of them, I think I’ll just stay back and let you and Trevor handle it,” she said with a carefree smile.

It was rejuvenating. Sypha was right—he did feel a little better.

“Sypha!” Trevor’s voice called from the first floor. “Did you get him to stop freaking out up there?”

Alucard scowled as he watched Trevor climb the ladder to their platform. 

“Don’t mind him,” Sypha said quietly to Alucard, before turning to Trevor. “You need to stop antagonizing him. He’s been through a lot.”

“Yeah, sure,” Trevor said. “Look, Alucard,” he sighed. “I’m sorry, okay? I didn’t know that you would succumb to a full-on panic attack. I was just messing around.”

Alucard hummed and turned his head away. 

“I didn’t scar you too badly, did I? You’re still able to function out there?”

“Trevor...” Sypha sighed disapprovingly. 

“All right, all right,” Trevor sighed.

He slowly approached Alucard, and he hesitated before putting his hand on the dhampir’s shoulder. Alucard tensed up, and he glanced back at the hunter without turning his head. 

“I apologize, Alucard,” Trevor said. “I wasn’t trying to hurt you...well, maybe a little, but that’s beside the point. I know that we’re living in shitty times, and there are many nightmarish demons out there, enough to scare even the toughest of men. Now, obviously, the Marionettes are the ones that get to you, and I should not have used that against you. Again, I'm sorry.”

There was a long silence before Alucard finally spoke. “Apology accepted.”

Trevor removed his hand from Alucard’s shoulder. “All right, then. I guess we’re good?”

“I suppose...”

“You suppose? What is that supposed to mean?”

Alucard leapt over the railing. “What do you think it means?”

“I—uh...” Trevor stammered. “Where are you going?”

“To get my sword.”

“What for?”

Alucard didn’t respond as he jumped onto the platform opposite of Trevor and Sypha. He retrieved his sword and held it tightly in his grip. The two humans followed him across the hold. Sypha climbed the ladder, with Trevor close behind. 

“What’s wrong, Alucard?” the Speaker asked. 

“I am exhausted, Sypha,” he said wearily, before moving to jump upon a bookshelf.

“Wait! Stay on the ground.”

“...Why?”

“You’ll be safe. You don’t need to perch up there all the time, staying vigilant and keeping watch.”

“I must.”

“No. Come, sit down here. Trevor and I can stay up. You’ve had a long night.”

Alucard looked reluctant to obey, so Sypha grabbed his arm and led him to a corner between two shelves. Sypha sat nearby, and she beckoned Trevor to do the same. The hunter sat across from her, so they formed a sort of barrier between Alucard and the rest of the Belmont Hold. He didn’t say it, but Alucard did feel safer in their presence. 

“Thank you...” he said quietly. 

Sypha smiled and motioned for him to put his sword down. He placed it next to him on the ground, and as he looked back up, Trevor caught his gaze.

“Get some sleep, Alucard,” the hunter said gently. “We’re here for you. You’re safe.”

**Author's Note:**

> I wanted to portray the fact that Alucard is still fairly young when the show takes place, around eighteen years old. Trevor and Sypha are definitely older than him, and I think Sypha would be more of a motherly type of friend, looking out for Alucard when he's really just a teenager.


End file.
